Reader Showcase: Vinh Tran

About the Photographs: Hanoi Vietnam is where I’m from but I have lived abroad for the last 13 years. It feels both close and foreign to me at the same time. These images are shot in the last two years 2014-2015 during my two short trips there. I want to depict what Hanoi means to me, tranquil and poetic, not the hustle and bustling feel of Vietnam’s capital.

About the Photographer: This is purely a hobby so I can shoot what I like and show how I feel. I like images that can connect to me and make me feel some emotions. I’m lucky in the sense I move around quite often due to work so been living in different cities every 2 years. That motivates me a lot in exploring the local culture and exhaust the possibilities before moving on.

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Comments

Hi Vinh, I’ve been a bit distracted these last few weeks, but I thought I’d pop up now (better late than never) and make some comments. They are of course subjective and personal – here goes (in no particular order):

1. Keep doing what you’re doing. I sense that you are oscillating a little between more formal an informal photographs, perhaps with the camera format (and handling) having a bearing on this. When I shot Russians and Royals, I shot using a Leica and a Mamiya 7 in an effort to keep the handling a little closer and my images more harmonious. Out of the images you have shared, I find the second image the odd one out. It sits on the edge between a formal ‘transformative’ study and abstraction and its a worthy image in its own right, only I’m not sure it quite sits alongside the others. It may be worth thinking about some specific projects or simply responses to places or subject matter that you feel you could pursue with one or the other camera system. I think it may reward you.

2. There is a serenity and peace to your images that I enjoy and it sits nicely alongside the ‘quiet candid’ and informal feel they have. Your images are pretty consistent and you’ll have no trouble building up bodies of work that are harmonious.

3. Perhaps instead of thinking about an idea, try for something less direct: perhaps just go with feelings and don’t try to convert them into an idea that can be explained. Perhaps when you have finished the work, the words will come. Ideas can be great, but photographs that provide a window into a photographers view and response to an environment are no less good.

4. If the images are scanned prints, I personally think its important to be thorough with your spotting on the print, or do it digitally once scanned. It makes such a difference to how ‘finished’ the image seems. White spots distract and the last think you want a viewer doing is thinking about dust spots.

5. I think your strongest images are those where you are at your most relaxed and in the moment (and unable to think too much). Some are a bit out of focus, some perhaps not perfectly exposed, but these images contain the element of mystery and in my desire to unravel, this is where I find the strongest connection.

Hi tom,
Its like you read my mind and write down exactly what i have been thinking of my recent change of style. I have ben trying to expand beyond the loose compositional in the moment photos into a more formal well constructed photographs. As much as i try to make the camera transparent each of them affects how i photograph. The rolleiflex forces me to think more be more constructive of my photos and what i get back is high quality of tones and sharpness. But along the way i lost the feel of being in the moment with a rangefinder. Now i enjoy going out talking to ppl and do more formal portraits of them. I would love to be able to blend the two cameras to show my point of view in a more consistent way but i might be forcing it. In these 7 photos i might to try to do too much. My intention was to show a bit of the city without humans (but with the tools that ppl use in their homes) and others which are more consistent to each others with humans in them. It might make sense ti seperate them out to different portfolios in the future.
These are scans directly from the film and very true im a bit lazy in cleaning the dust spots. For prints i do clean them up well. I got robin bell to print the first image out for me based on your recommendation on rff.
Im not sure what is next for me in the year 2016 but yes i will keep going. By expand my shooting envelopes and styles, i hope to find the real “me” and be honest to myself.

Hi Vinh, I’m glad it was helpful and keep enjoying different approaches. Ahah, I remember writing that on RFF and hope Robin did a good job! Good luck with your future endeavours and I will be interested to hear where your ‘self’ takes you! Enjoy!

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The Author

Award-winning photographer, ex-soldier and father of two, Thomas Stanworth has spent over a decade working and photographing in trouble spots from Sierra Leone to Afghanistan. His work has been exhibited in the US, UK, Europe and Asia. Read More…

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